Yesterday we got a chance to participate in a teleconference with Disney about their latest property on the Nintendo DS, Spectrobes. During the conference, new gameplay details were revealed for the first time, and Spectrobes is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious titles yet for the Nintendo DS.

Designed by Jupiter, Spectrobes tells the story of two intergalactic patrol officers, Rallen and Jeena. They somehow stumble upon the knowledge of these creatures known as Spectrobes. These Spectrobes possess special powers, and they can be trained, and even evolved to do battle against an all new threat to humanity, the Krawl.

Despite Spectrobes' bearing obvious similarities to Nintendo’s own Pokémon franchise, there are many differences between the two. First, and foremost, Spectrobes seems to take advantage of every aspect of the Nintendo DS hardware into its unique game design. For example you will use the stylus to excavate an area with a variety of tools. You can blow dust away while excavating by simply and effortlessly blowing onto the DS’s built in microphone. Players will even be able to "awaken" their Spectrobes with their own voice.

The designers also choose to implement a very unique card based upgrade system. When Spectrobes ships in March it will come with at least one pack in card per game. You simply lay this card on the touch screen, and located on the card are actual numbered holes. Gamers simply tap through the numbered holes in the designated order to unlock new content.

As you may have guessed Spectrobes does have a emphasis on multiplayer gameplay. You can trade items, parts, and even Spectrobes with your pals wirelessly. Not to mention you can set up your own network tournament.

Spectrobes also comes complete with a full-fledged online component. Every time a player logs onto their service they receive download points. Collect enough points to download new content such as videos, parts, and even Spectrobes themselves. You can even upload data to the official Spectrobes website to show everyone your stats.

What else can we say? Spectrobes has definitely peaked our interest. Here is a small list of features for this upcoming game:

50 Different Spectrobes

Trade items, and challenge friends wirelessly

Real time battles propel players into the action

Spectrobes uses almost every feature of your DS

Collectable card input system extends replay value

Almost unlimited amount of customization for Spectrobes

Downloadable content

Upload Battle profile to the net

Spectrobes is rated E for everyone, and should ship sometime in March. Stay tuned to Advanced Media for more on Spectrobes, and all your other gaming needs.

-- Stephen Smith